Food fit for the Gods

Review of Kokkari Estiatorio

I had been wanting to come to this restaurant for a some time after going to the sister restaurant Evvia in Palo Alto.

Located in the financial district, Kokkari which is named after a small fishing village on the island of Samos in the Aegean Sea serves authentic Greek dishes. When you enter, it first seems like small confined space with only a few tables and chairs but just around the corner it opens up to a vast area with plenty of room. It makes the fact the restaurant is almost always fully booked days in advance all the more impressive.

After patiently waiting the whole day trying not to indulge in heavy meals, I had prepared myself for the feast fit for the gods. Having a 6 person party made it all the more easier to get bounty of different dishes.

The Spanakotiropita a traditional filo pies of spinach, feta, leeks & dill is a staple of greek starters and did not disappoint. A nice crisp flaky outside with a deliciously well seasoned ingredients.

A recipe for this dish can be found here

The Kolokithokeftethes a crispy zucchini cake with cucumber & mint-yogurt dressing was a big winner. The cake has perfect texture and composition that made it delightful.



The Saghanaki apan fried Kefalograviera (cheese) with lemon & oregano is another famous starter. I am usually a big fan of the dish but this one did seem to miss the mark. It was a lot tougher and drier than what I have had previously and one of the rare disappointments of the night .

The Grilled Meatballs with oregano, orange & tomato-green olive were pretty good. The meatballs could have been a bit more moist but the sauce was good.

The Psari Psito a traditional grilled whole fish with braised greens, lemon & Cretan olive oil or Plaki served with wood oven-roasted, with tomato, fennel & olives was an incredible dish that had rave reviews from our table. The fish was moist and well seasoned the only thing you had to be careful were for the stray bones.

Moussaka a traditional casserole of eggplant, lamb, potato & yogurt béchamel was a great composition of ingredients that worked right to make a rich and flavorful dish.



And no meal could be complete without the the aromatic braised lamb shank with orzo & myzithra. A tender piece of well seasoned meet that just fell off the bone with a delicate slice of your fork.

Overall this was a fantastic experience and one that will hopefully be revisited soon. The atmosphere was great and the service is on point. I would highly recommend this restaurant as must visit dining experience.

Ambiance: 4.2 bites
Service: 4.3 bites
Appetizers 4.6 bites
Entrees: 4.3 bites
Overall 4.5 bites


200 Jackson St
San Francisco, CA 94111-1806
(415) 981-0983
www.kokkari.com